


The Island

by Song of the Rails (DisneyGirl1901)



Series: Dreaming of... [1]
Category: Thomas the Tank Engine - All Media Types
Genre: Autistic Character, Dreams, Gen, Help with Tags?, Tags May Change, Trains, Very Slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-05-26 09:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6234061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyGirl1901/pseuds/Song%20of%20the%20Rails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Can I ever forget?</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shaina McKin has always been a girl who never really grew up.  She loved hearing stories and telling them.  But what happens when she and her family wakes up IN a story, all the way on the other side of the world?  And what happens when she finds abilities she never knew she had?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Ladies and Gentlemen! I am the Songbird, and this is my very first story! I would like to give thanks to LightandSteam over on FanFiction.net for her BIG help! Anyways, on with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you may recognize. I only own the plot and my OCs.

The moon shone brightly through the window, settling on a sleeping girl. Her short brown hair settled around her face like a fan, giving her an innocent look, but her face was troubled. Her dreams swirled around her in a wild mix of words, colors and sounds. She could see blue, red, green, gold, and brown mixing together, and yet, they never blended. She could hear a hissing sound, alongside whistles and bells. Voices she couldn't recognize whispered words she could barely understand. Throughout it all, she could hear a strangely familiar voice whispering one word: _Remember_. All of a sudden, she awoke.

The first thing that she could see was that this room was not her own, and yet, she could walk through it in pitch black darkness and not fall. Her hazel eyes scanned her surroundings. This definitely wasn't right. Her room didn't have a hammock or a full length mirror, and she was pretty sure that her room had two doors instead of three. Then, noticing a window, she carefully stood up. With unsteady legs, she walked over to the large window, carefully pushed aside the bright pink curtains, and opened it.

The moon illuminated the countryside well. The view outside held many trees and was very beautiful, but that was not what held the girl's attention. What held it were the strips of silver running along the ground. They were in pairs, always together, making their way to a large building just a short walk away. From there, it seems that they multiplied; creating ten pairs of silver strips where there was only one. Spying a path that lead to the large building, the girl quickly closed the window and ran to get dressed.

Soon, she wore sweatpants and a T-shirt with a pink jacket. Carefully, she opened the door to her room. Running down the stairs, she ran her hand along the wall, trying desperately to remember who it was that spoke in her dream. At the bottom of the stairs was the door to the outside. For a brief moment, the girl wondered if this was a good idea. But, eventually, her curiosity won out, and she opened the door.

The moon was still shining as bright as before. But, there was a sound traveling on the slight breeze that made itself known as the girl stepped outside. She walked closer to the silver strips. Now that she was closer, she could see that the silver strips were secured to wooden boards. Kneeling, she ran her hand over the strip closest to her. Her hand soon told her that it was cold and smooth, as if wheels ran over it every day. She jerked her hand back as a louder sound startled her. Her eyes immediately snapped toward the shed. Her heart hammered in her chest as she quickly ran down the path.

The girl skidded to a stop as she spied a door at the end. She looked up. This was where the sound came from, to be sure. Now, she could clearly hear the noise that startled her moments ago; whistles. A few of these whistles she remembered hearing in her dream. She gave a small smile. There might just be the chance to solve this mystery once and for all behind this door! Hesitantly, her hand found the doorknob and turned it. Finding the door unlocked, she slipped inside.

It was completely dark inside this shed, and the girl had to leave the door open in order to see. Inside were many large, colorful, mechanical objects that she recognized as steam engines. The whistling sound seemed to be coming from these engines, although the girl thought that an engine had to have steam in order to whistle. That's when she heard another sound; talking. She carefully walked in front of a blue tank engine and looked up at it. And that is when she got the biggest surprise of her life.

This engine had a face on it. The girl had never seen this before in her life. Her hands flew to her mouth, desperately hoping to not wake it up. All she could do was stare. She tried to tell herself that the face was just painted on, but this theory was quickly shattered as she saw the eyes flicker behind closed lids. Hours seemed to pass as she looked at this strange engine. Finally, she was able to pry her eyes away to look around her. That's when she saw the other engines had faces too.

This was too much. The girl turned back to the door and ran. She didn't dare look back; she had seen enough. She stumbled over the rails and ran into a few scattered objects, but her pace didn't slow. As she approached the door, she locked it from the inside. Once she was out, she slammed it shut, not caring if anyone heard.

All at once, the girl felt as if every single ounce of energy in her system was drained out of her. Her eyes fixed on the stars, as if they could give her answers. She gently let her head fall backwards against the wooden door she had run out of moments before. Slowly, she sat down, feeling her body slide against the rough wood. She continued to stare at the stars, like diamonds thrown over an inky, black cloth. Finally, she dropped her head into her knees, feeling her tears spilling over. The last thing she remembered was hearing the same voice from her dream whispering to her.

"Songbird, welcome home."


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have our introduction to Shaina McKin and her family as they find out that everything is not what it seems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Here it is! The first OFFICIAL chapter! BEHOLD ITS GLORY!!!!!
> 
> .....I should just calm down now and continue with the story. Big thanks to LightandSteam! On with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: I only own the plot and my OCs. They are mine, MINE I SAY! Ok, still need to calm down...

_"Songbird, welcome home."_  
  
That sentence was the first thing that greeted Shaina McKin as she gradually woke up. She silently laid in bed, puzzling over her dream. It was so real; she could have sworn that she was really there. However, there were other things to wonder about. Even though her eyes were still closed, there wasn't as much light as she usually saw in the morning. She slowly pried her eyes open to discover something incredible.

It was her room. And yet, it wasn't her room. Her mind said this room was hers; however, she didn't recognize it. The walls were painted a sky blue and the carpets were a dark, grassy green. Wall clings that depicted red flowers and yellow butterflies were set in a tasteful manner, giving the room the feel of a flower garden. A hammock was strung up in the far left corner of the room and a full length mirror stood in the far right corner, with a window in between. To the left of the mirror was a small side table, and to the right, a dresser. On the same wall as the dresser was a large bay window with drawers under the window seat. To the left of the hammock was a desk. Well, it looked like a desk, from what she could see. There was a line of shelves in the way.

Shaina's bed was a Queen size with a light pink sheet, two pillows with pillowcases in the same color as the sheet, and a flower decorated comforter. A homemade Rapunzel blanket was folded up at the end of the bed. There was a nightstand on either side; one holding a lamp with books and her iPad mini, the other holding another lamp with her iPhone and a glasses case. There were three doors; one next to the line of shelves and two on the wall that held her bed, one on each side of it.

Shaina reached for her glasses, but stopped when she saw something that made her blood grow cold. She was fully dressed. She had gone to bed in pajamas, but now she was wearing a Disney t-shirt and sweatpants. Then, she saw the pink jacket folded at the end of her bed.

Shaina raced towards the door near the shelves. It opened to a landing with two doors, one of which was her own. There was a small alcove to her right that had beanbags, pillows, and shelves. A quick glance showed her that there were toys and games in these bins. But that didn't matter at that moment. She ran to the other door and threw it open.

This room was similar to her own; however, instead of the garden theme that her room had, this room had a space theme, with many shades of blue. This was the room of Shaina's younger brother, Joel. Shaina didn't stay still to enjoy the scenery, however. She quickly moved towards her brother's bedside and shook him awake. He moaned as he was rudely pulled from his dreams.

"Shaina, we're not supposed to be up yet. We don't need to head out for our appointment for another hour or so."

"Well, I doubt that we can get there in time even if we had left two hours ago."

At this Joel's blue eyes snapped open. He stared in wonder at the room around him before he turned towards his sister.

"Something's not right."

Shaina snorted, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Thank you for that, Captain Obvious. Mom and Dad should know about this."

With that, Shaina and Joel, the latter of which was still in pajamas, raced downstairs. The downstairs level was spacious with the living room, dining room, and kitchen in the same general area. Shaina made a sharp turn to the left, going down a short hallway with three doors. The door to the left led to a powder room, while the door to the right led to a laundry room.

Joel opened the door at the end of the hall to find the master bedroom. The master had a large king size bed in the middle of it, with one dresser on each side of the room. The bed had a royal blue comforter, and the walls were painted a lighter blue. Shaina's mother, Ruth, and her father, Donald, were already awake and dressed.

The four walked out into the living room, where their cat, Blacky, was snoozing on the back of the sofa. Dad was the first to speak up.

"Ok. Does anyone have any idea as to what's going on?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Shaina," Joel asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

Shaina looked down at her hands, worry projected on her face.

"I-I'm not sure. I had the weirdest dream last night..."

"What dream?" Mom asked, seeing Shaina's distress. Shaina shook her head slowly.

"Colors. Blue, green, red. Voices. Too muffled to make out, but familiar. Sounds. Bells, hissing, and..."

Before Shaina could say anything more, whistles filled the air. She grasped the sides of her head as she remembered. Those whistles were from her dream! Her eyes flew open.

"No..."

Shaina raced past her family, ignoring their questions. Opening the front door, she stepped onto the front porch and saw it. The sheds... With THOSE engines there.  She was near panicking by this point. She stumbled back inside and slumped onto the couch, disturbing Blacky, who jumped down and made herself comfortable on Shaina's lap. Shaina muttered song lyrics under her breath as Joel sat beside her.

"Shaina, what's going on? Where are we?"

Shaina took a deep breath.

"Joel, what's Rodos backwards?"

Joel thought for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. Shaina turned her head to look at him.

"Sodor."

Everyone was silent. Shaina started breathing heavily again.

"Sodor. We're on Sodor. What are we going to do?"

"Explore?"

Shaina sighed in response to her brother's remark.

"No, we are not going to..." She paused. "Well, maybe a little bit. After all," she said, smiling kindly at her brother, "it's not every day you wake up in a storybook."  Just as soon as she said that, she turned her head back to look at the ceiling. "But, at the moment, the question of the year is 'How did we even get here in the first place?'"

Joel sprang up, one hand held aloft, as if he'd had a brilliant idea.

"Sherlock Joel is on the case!"

Shaina quickly pulled him back down to the couch.

"No. No 'Sherlock Joel'."

Dad spoke up.

"Maybe we can look for anything unusual while we're exploring? But, I agree with Shaina; No 'Sherlock Joel'."

Shaina nodded.

"I can only hope we can find something." She groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "If I don't lose my mind before then."

* * *

Later that day, Shaina sat out on the porch, reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She had gotten to where Dorothy realizes she's not in Kansas anymore; however, her mind was not fully on the book, as she was daydreaming. Shaina was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not hear the sound of a engine coming up the tracks.

"Hello!"

Shaina's head snapped up. There, a few feet away on the tracks, was a tank engine. It had six wheels, a funnel, a dome, and a brass whistle that gleamed in the sunlight. Its sky blue livery had thin red stripes, with a big yellow number 1 rimmed in red. But, that wasn't the most interesting feature about this engine. On the front of the smokebox, where there should be just a door, there was a face. A face that moved, and almost seemed to breathe. This, Shaina remembered, was Thomas the Tank Engine himself. He smiled kindly to her.

"I'm Thomas. How are you today?"

A small part of Shaina's mind told her to be friendly to the engine. However, this part was squashed by the larger part that remembered. She bookmarked her spot and snapped the book shut.

"I suppose I'm doing all right. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Shaina stood up and walked to the door. But, before she could get it open, he spoke up.

"Hey! What did I do?"

Shaina turned back to look at the tank engine, hurt in her eyes.

"You've done enough. Must you do more?"

With that, she opened the door and stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she leaned back, just like in her dream, and cried. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I have now calmed down... Somewhat...  
> So, now we have met Shaina and her family. Shaina and Joel have a very important role to play, and it doesn't matter if Shaina likes it or not...  
> In the next chapter, things get a lot more interesting... :evily grins:  
> Please leave kudos or comment! Things like that just make my day!


	3. Chapter 2: Shattering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaina shatters as the music takes her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE GOTTEN A REVIEW!!! Thank you to Saberius_Prime!
> 
> We have a fairly important chapter today! This symbol (**) will take you to the music. More thanks to LightandSteam! On with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: I only own the plot and my OCs. I don't own the song "Shatter Me." That belongs to the incredibly awesome Lindsey Stirling.

Tidmouth Station was always somewhat crowded. It was a very large station, having five platforms for passengers and three for goods. A bridge spanned through the entire length of the station, with stairs leading to the platforms. The glass ceiling lit up the interior, throwing light around and showcasing the engines and people waiting there. However, not all was cheerful that morning.

Shaina leaned on the railing of the bridge overlooking the platforms while her mother and father went to buy tickets. Joel was sitting on a bench behind her, looking at a map. It seems that no matter where a person goes, there's always music of some kind playing in the background; Tidmouth was no exception. Shaina could hear a pop song from a local radio station playing, but that's not where her mind was.

It had been a week since she had fallen asleep in Pennsylvania and woken up here. For the first couple of days, they had simply stayed inside, trying to adjust to the new house. Then, they decided to wander around Tidmouth, exploring and getting used to money and terminology. It wasn't until today when they decided to visit other places. Mom and Dad decided that Joel could choose the first place they traveled to. Joel, of course, chose Thomas' branch line. Why Shaina wasn't surprised, she didn't know.

[(**)](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=49tpIMDy9BE) Thomas had just pulled into the station when Shaina heard it. The music box-like notes that opened one of her favorite songs. The lyric started and she sang.

_"I pirouette in the dark; I see the stars through me"_

A violin played gently, then faded away.

_"My tired mechanical heart beats 'til the song disappears"_

The violin played again, and as it stopped, Shaina lifted her head.

 _"Somebody shine a light_  
_I'm frozen by the fear in me_  
_Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me_  
_So cut me from the line_  
_Dizzy, spinning endlessly_  
_Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me"_

Shaina let her head drop as the violin picked up again, but this time it wasn't playing gently. It played violently, pulsing and moving. Shaina raised her head, smiling, as the vocalist sang.

_"Shatter me"_

She pushed away from the railing as the violin continued, making her way down the stairs. Soon, she was on a platform between Thomas and Henry, the latter of which was pulling the express, although she didn't look at either of them.

_"Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me"_

Here Shaina slumped over, as if she was a doll that hadn't been wound up enough.

_"If only the clockwork could speak"_

Shaina quickly straightened up, like she had been wound up again.

_"I wouldn't be so alone"_

The violin continued its sad song as Shaina walked in between the engines.

_"We'd burn every magnet and spring, and spiral into the unknown"_

Shaina was right around Thomas' water tanks by now, and as the chorus started, she looked up and saw his number.

 _"Somebody shine a light..."_  
She moved her right foot back  
_"I'm frozen by the fear in me..."_  
She took a step back and looked away, placing a hand in between her face and Thomas' number  
_"Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me..."_  
By now people had gathered and were watching her, however the music had taken Shaina too far for her to notice.  
_"So cut me from the line..."_  
Shaina's family had seen that Shaina was gone and was trying to push through the crowd to get to her.  
_"Dizzy, spinning endlessly..."_  
Shaina twirled and bowed to the crowd around her.  
_"Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me"_

As the violin played on, Shaina moved with the music. She felt like she was weightless, gliding across the platform.  This was who she was, and if everyone laughed at her, that was tough. She could not, and would not, change this piece of her.

_"Shatter me"_

Everything was changing. As the people watched this girl, they saw jerky movements and things that may never be called dancing, but they also saw a girl that wasn't afraid to show herself. It was as if they were seeing something greater happening, and truly, they were.

_"Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me"_

Shaina stopped dancing and faced back the way she came, slowly moving forwards.

 _"If I break the glass then I'll have to fly_  
_There's no one to catch me if I take a dive_  
_I'm scared of change and the days stay the same_  
_The world is spinning, but only in grey"_

Shaina turned around, still never looking at the engines.

 _"If I break the glass then I'll have to fly..."_  
She raised her hand towards the ceiling, watching it.  
_"There's no one to catch me if I take a dive..."_  
She threw her hand downwards.  
_"I'm scared of change and the days stay the same..."_  
She looked towards the crowd.  
_"The world is spinning..."_  
She pirouetted...  
_"But only in grey"_  
...and met eyes with Thomas, hand towards him.

Shaina gently lowered her hand, never breaking her gaze. She slowly walked towards him, feeling her heart pound in time with the music.

_"Only..."_

She stopped as the vocalist stopped. She crumpled, feeling something strange, as if two stars became as one. Her whole body tingled. She felt a strong surge of energy, and she threw her head back and arms wide as the chorus began again.

 _"Somebody shine a light..."_  
Shaina met Thomas' eyes with a fearful look.  
_"I'm frozen by the fear in me..."_  
She backed up two steps and looked away, leaning back and placing her hands in front of her, like a shield.  
_"Somebody make me feel alive..."_  
She raised her head and saw Henry.  
_"And shatter me..."_  
She twirled, then looked down, placing a hand between herself and each engine, as if she was pushing them away.  
_"So cut me from the line..."_  
Shaina felt like she was being torn apart.  
_"Dizzy, spinning endlessly..."_  
This song had always taken her, but never this strongly.  
_"Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me"_

By this time, Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the entire railway had heard all the commotion. He made his way to the front of the crowd and saw her as the music started to peak. As the girl stretched her voice to follow the vocalist, his watch started to glow slightly. The last time it had done that was when the railway was just beginning, when a man and his young boy first appeared.

_"Shatter me"_

Joel shoved his way past the crowd and watched as his sister danced. He was the only one who noticed the glow that started to appear around her neck. He didn't see a similar glow appear on Thomas' side tanks.

_"Somebody make me feel alive and Shatter Me!"_

Shaina felt her whole body stiffen, every muscle taught. Then, she felt all the energy that flowed into her dissipate. At once she became very tired, and she felt two sets of arms holding her. The last thing Shaina knew was her brother's face, her mother's voice, and Thomas's whistle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :hiding somewhere: :peaks head out: Ok, little cliffhanger.... AHHH! :pulls head back as people start throwing rotten fruit:  
> I'm working on the next chapter! It is in progress! Comments and kudos speed up the process!  
> This chapter, I have a small contest. The first person to correctly guess who the young boy and his father are get a special mention in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 3: Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaina and Joel officially meet the engines and we learn something about the younger McKin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :carefully looks out from behind fruit-stained table: Look! The anti-cliffhanger! 
> 
> As to my contest...(checks inbox), it seems I have a lack of guesses. Well, I got one guess. Thus, the winner is... (insert drum roll here)...Saberius_Prime! Congrats! I won't be giving away the answer just yet, though. I want to see if any of you guys have an idea.
> 
> More thanks to LightandSteam! On with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: Do I own anything? Yes, the plot and my OCs. Do I own anything else? No.

Shaina's eyes snapped open. With a gasp of a breath, she shot upright, taking in her surroundings and trying to calm down. She was back at home. Correction: the house, in her room. Gently, she lowered her head into her hands and tried to think, even though her brain decided to take today of all days off. She remembered hearing Shatter Me, singing, and a rush of energy, and then...nothing else.

Groaning, she got out of bed and slowly made her way downstairs. Mom and Dad rushed over to their daughter from the kitchen and wrapped her up in a warm hug.  
"Are you all right, Shaina? We were worried sick! Especially after you didn't wake up for the rest of the day."  
Shaina looked up at her mother.  
"What happened? I remember Shatter Me, and I was singing, and..."  
Joel spoke up.  
"You collapsed at the end of the song. Mom and I grabbed you. Thankfully, we could tell you were alive. We took you straight home. You slept for the whole day, and through the night. It's tomorrow now."  
Just as Shaina was about to ask another question, Dad spoke up.  
"Shaina, where did you get that whistle?"  
"What do you mean?"  
Shaina looked down to see a silver whistle on a chain hanging around her neck. She lifted it up to see a strange symbol engraved into it: two musical notes turned upside down, forming a heart. She gently raised it to her lips and blew. The whistle sounded clear and strong, which is what she expected. What she did not expect were the answering whistles and horns from all around. Joel smiled.  
"Come on, Shaina. Mom and Dad said that we could play outside while the engines are being steamed, as long as we don't cause any damage or get in the way."

After a quick breakfast, Shaina and Joel walked down the path to the sheds, the former carrying a ball to kick around. By this point, Shaina was very worried. As if what happened a week ago wasn't bad enough, now there was this mess to deal with. Well, if there was one good part to this...whatever it was, it was that the weather was beautiful. It hadn't really stormed for the whole week. There was a bit of rain on Wednesday, but other than that, it was mainly sunny and warm, just like today.  
"Shaina, are you alright?"  
Shaina turned her head to look at her brother, who was walking beside and slightly behind her.  
"Yes, Joel, I'm fine. Just...trying to get the pieces to fit."  
Shaina looked to her right and saw a small clearing, just big enough to kick their ball back and forth. She threw the ball up, catching it as she spoke.  
"So, who's up for soccer?"  
Joel smiled as they moved into the clearing.  
"I'll beat you."  
Shaina chuckled.  
"Well, then. Don't expect me to hold back."

Meanwhile, in Tidmouth sheds, one of the engine drivers watched the duo playing. The two were throughly enjoying themselves, and, as the man watched, he remembered them both. Another man walked up to the first one.  
"What are you looking at, Chris?"  
Christopher Wryda, or Chris to his friends, motioned to Shaina and Joel.  
"Recognize them, Jack?"  
Jack Rodgers was just about to reply, but someone else answered first.  
"That's the girl that was at Tidmouth station yesterday," came a voice from behind and slightly above the two men. Chris and Jack looked back to see their engine, Thomas, watching them. Chris spoke up.  
"Yes, I'm pretty sure that's them. I'd have to get a better look to make sure."  
Just as Chris finished, Thomas blew his whistle loudly.  
"Thomas!" Chris gasped. "What are you doing?!"  
Thomas looked surprised.  
"I thought you wanted to see them better!"  
Before Chris could say anything further, Jack pushed him towards the duo.  
"Come on, Chris. I can tell you're curious. Just say 'hi,' ask them where they're from, and I'll finish getting Tommy here ready."  
Chris sighed and reluctantly walked out, listening to Thomas's loud protests towards his new nickname.

Shaina and Joel, meanwhile, were engaged in a fierce soccer match. Just as Shaina was about to kick the ball back to Joel, Thomas's whistle blew, startling them both. At the sheds, two men were talking to Thomas, when one of them turned around and saw them watching. As they watched, one man pushed the other man towards them. Joel watched his sister curiously.  
"What's going on?"  
Shaina took a deep breath to steady her nerves.  
"I'm not sure, but I hope we're not in trouble..."  
Soon, the man had walked up to them. Now that he was closer, Shaina could see he had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was a little shorter than Shaina, but there was some sort of connection in his eyes that Shaina could almost physically feel. He wore a set of periwinkle coveralls with a golden number 1 pin that flashed in the sunlight. He waved, seeming a bit nervous.  
"Hi. I'm Chris. I think I saw you at Tidmouth station yesterday?"  
Shaina was immediately on edge.  
"Depends. We're not in trouble, right?"  
Chris smiled at them.  
"Believe me, if you were in trouble, you wouldn't be hearing about it from me."  
Shaina relaxed at little bit.  
"I'm Shaina and this," she said, motioning to her brother, "is Joel. We... 'moved in' about a week ago."  
Chris nodded.  
"Well, it's very nice to meet you. Welcome to the island!"  
Then, Joel spoke up.  
"Do you work with the engines?"  
Shaina motioned for Joel to be silent, but Chris could see the questioning look in Shaina's eyes.  
"Yes, I do. I drive Thomas." Here he paused. "If you'd like, I could let you meet them."  
Shaina froze. This was not a good idea. At all. She still remembered, and she didn't want to risk anything. She was fairly near the edge as it was.  
"We don't want to get in the way.."  
"You won't," Chris promised. "As long as you stay in front of them and off the rails, you should be fine."  
This was going to be very, **very** bad. But, before she could say anything to the contrary, Joel was nodding his head so fast that, for a moment, Shaina almost thought it was going to fly off. Chris laughed.  
"Alright. Well, follow me."  
Joel sped up to walk beside Chris, while Shaina lagged behind. She had a bad feeling about this...

Soon, they were coming up to a side door at Tidmouth sheds. Shaina was near panicking by this point. She remembered that door; it was the same one from her dream. She slowly backed away.  
"Hey, Joel, I just remembered. Mom wanted us back. She said she was going to make peanut butter pie later! And, she also said that if we weren't back soon, we wouldn't get any. So, we'd better head back..."  
But, before she could say anything else, Chris had unlocked the door. He looked up and saw Shaina's white face.  
"Miss, are you all right?"  
Shaina stopped in her tracks. She had never told anyone about this, only her parents. But, she had been doing so well, it would be a shame to stop now.  
"Yes, I'm fine. I just remembered something, but it can wait."  
Chris looked skeptical, but nodded, opening the door...

Only to run straight into the other man Shaina had seen earlier. He was about a foot taller than Chris, and more muscular. His deep brown eyes nicely complimented his light brown hair.  
"Hey, Chris. Are these your new friends?"  
Chris glared at this newcomer.  
"I thought you were, quote, 'getting Tommy ready'?"  
Shaina and Joel couldn't help but snicker. The other man looked over at them.  
"Hey! I'm Jack, and yes, I was. I thought I'd come see you guys."  
Shaina's cheeks colored a little bit. Chris, however, was not amused.  
"Jack," he said in a scaringly calm tone, "Go and get Thomas ready. Now."  
Jack turned tail and ran. Shaina smiled.  
"Is he always like that?"  
Chris sighed, shaking his head.  
"I wish I could say 'no,' but I can't."  
Shaina took a deep breath as she walked through the doorway, brushing her fingers against the doorknob in hopes that she could get some sort of luck. She would need it.

Shaina shuddered as she stepped over the threshold into Tidmouth sheds. The inside was painted an ash grey with darker grey accents. It was fairly cosy, all things considered. Inside, there was the dull droning of lots of people talking at once. Shaina could see lots of different kinds of people running around, getting their respective engines ready for the day. The droning gradually ceased as the three walked in front of the other engines.

Shaina and Joel followed Chris to Thomas. The little blue tank engine looked down to them.  
"Hi! I'm Thomas."  
Shaina swallowed, nodding, her arms wrapped firmly around herself.  
"So we've heard."  
Thomas looked curiously at her.  
"Wait a minute. Didn't I see you before? About a week ago?"  
Before she could answer, a small crash sounded from behind Shaina. It was only something falling from a shelf, but it startled her and she whirled around to see what happened. As she did, Thomas could see a flash of silver around her neck. He spoke up.  
"What's that?"  
Shaina looked at him questioningly, but followed his gaze to her whistle. She pulled it up and over her head, holding it up to her face.  
"I'm not sure..."  
Jack walked up, pretending to study it for a moment.  
"Looks like a whistle to me."  
Both Chris and Shaina glared at Jack. Jack gave an unrepentant grin and raced back to Thomas's cab. Chris pointed to her whistle.  
"Mind if I take a closer look?"  
Shaina held out her hand, not letting go of the chain. Something in the back of her mind told her to not let it out of her sight.

Chris looked closely at the whistle. Then, he froze for a moment, running his thumb over the engraving. Motioning for Shaina to follow him, he walked back along Thomas's side. Stopping, and pointing to Thomas's number, he looked at Shaina.  
"You might want to take a look at this."  
There, inside Thomas's number, was the same symbol; two music notes that had been turned upside down, forming a heart; painted in a very light pink. Shaina reached up to touch it. As soon as her fingers brushed over it, Thomas jumped, giggling.  
"Stop! Please! It tickles!"  
Chris, curious, brushed his hand over it. Thomas jumped again, laughing even harder. Shaina couldn't help but smile a little bit as Chris laughed.  
"My, my! Someone's ticklish this morning!"

That's when Shaina heard more laughter. But this laughter wasn't from Chris or Thomas. She walked back up to Thomas's front and looked across the sheds. A few rows down, two other engines, Gordon and James if she remembered correctly, were laughing with Joel standing in front of them. But, Joel wasn't laughing. Shaina walked over, placing her hand on her brother's back protectively.  
"What's going on over here?"  
Joel turned to her, looking hurt.  
"I was showing them my impressions, and they said I sounded ridiculous. They said that I would be better off doing funny voices in the circus!"  
Shaina's temper flared. How dare they say things like that! She took a deep breath, hoping to keep her temper at bay long enough to get Joel out of the firing line. She pointed over to Chris.  
"Can you wait over there for a moment please?"  
Joel obeyed, walking over to Thomas, the latter of which started asking Joel questions.

Shaina turned to Gordon and James, murder in her eyes and her voice frighteningly calm.  
"And who give you permission to say things like that?"  
Gordon, who Shaina had figured out was the instigator of all this, spoke up.  
"I-I-I mean, he-he did! It sounded strange!"  
Shaina's gaze never wavered. She raised her voice.  
"That doesn't give you the right to laugh at him!"  
Gordon and James looked at Shaina in shock. They couldn't believe that this girl, who they had never even met until today, would speak to them in this way. Shaina simply continued, too upset to notice.  
"Just because someone speaks in a different way then you do, that doesn't mean you can insult them about it. Besides, it was a character impression! I doubt you two even know who half of those characters are!"  
Gordon seemed to think that he still had the upper hand.  
"He still spoke strangely. He almost called me Edward!"  
Shaina wasn't having any of this.  
"So what? He's almost called me 'Mom' once or twice!"  
James sniffed haughtily.  
"It's not normal."  
This was the last straw for Shaina.  
"He's autistic!"  
Everyone, crews and engines alike, froze for a moment at this revelation. The only one who didn't freeze was Joel. He continued talking to Thomas and Chris. Shaina continued, focused only on the two engines on front of her.  
"He's not your definition of 'normal' to begin with! I cannot believe this! They say first impressions are important, and from what I see, you two can only think of yourselves! You don't have the ability or the brain capacity to think about anyone else and their feelings!"  
Gordon looked like he wanted to say something, but Shaina's glare silenced him.  
"I dare not lay a hand on either of you now. But, so help me, if I hear that you have done anything like this to anyone else; human, engine, or otherwise; I will find you. And by the time I'm finished with you two, you'll need to be taken to the Steamworks IN PIECES! AM I UNDERSTOOD!?!?!"  
Gordon and James couldn't speak, trembling and now seeing that Shaina wasn't someone to mess with.

Shaina walked back over to Joel, her temper cooling for the moment.  
"Come on, mon frère, let's go, before I do something I won't regret."  
She glared at Gordon and James as she said the last part, both of whom were cowering. She turned back to Chris.  
"Thank you for letting us come here."  
Chris nodded, following her and Joel. Before they left, however, a small voice spoke up.  
"What is that? A...Au..."  
Shaina looked to where the voice had come from. There was a small green tank engine looking at her with a confused expression; Percy, she remembered. With a kind smile, she replied.  
"Autism. I promise I'll come back at another time and try to explain it."  
This seemed to satisfy Percy, so Shaina continued walking out.

Once out of the sheds, Chris turned to Shaina.  
"I'm sorry about those two. I will make sure that they are punished."  
Shaina shook her head.  
"No. Let them go for now. I'll be letting very important people know about this later."  
Chris's eyes widened. He knew exactly who she was referring to.  
"Alright. Again, I'm sorry."  
Shaina placed her hand on his arm.  
"Don't be. They made a stupid decision, and they will reap the consequences. You had nothing to do with. But, I want to thank you for showing me that symbol."  
Chris nodded, as if to say 'you're welcome', and walked back inside.

A few minutes later, Shaina and Joel stormed through the front door of their house, the former slamming it shut behind her. Mom and Dad both jumped.  
"What happened?"  
Shaina spoke up, anger creeping into her voice.  
"Gordon and James thought it would be a good idea to taunt Joel about his impressions and how he spoke."  
Joel, meanwhile, had run upstairs as soon as he had gotten his shoes off. Mom was just as furious as Shaina had been minutes before.

While her parents discussed what to do, Shaina followed her brother upstairs, where he was throwing pillows around. She stood at a fairly safe distance, watching. After a while, he stopped throwing things and sat down, slumping over. Even though Joel was still fuming, Shaina cautiously approached him, sitting beside him and putting her arm around him. He leaned into her.  
"Are you sure that my impressions are that good?"  
Shaina ran her hand over his head, like she would pet Blacky. She knew her brother liked it when she did that.  
"I'm very sure. And I should know. I have to live with you, after all!"  
The last sentence Shaina said with amusement in her tone. Joel looked back at her sadly. Shaina smiled as she pulled her brother into a big hug, one of her hands reaching up behind his head.  
"You will be alright. There, there."  
This set Joel off in a fit of laughter. Shaina joined him after a moment. By this point, their parents had come up, but didn't announce their presence. Once they had settled down, Shaina put her arm around her brother again, lightly kissing the top of his head.  
"I love you, Rouge One."  
Joel snuggled closer to her.  
"I love you too, Songbird."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lesson here? :glares at a cowering Gordon and James: Never mess with Shaina when it comes to her brother.  
> In the next chapter, there's a surprise...  
> Read and review please! Let me know how I'm doing!


	5. Chapter 4: Discovering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've learned things about Joel McKin. But, there are many more secrets to discover...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OVER 100 VIEWS?! Apparently I'm doing something right...
> 
> A quick note: At the moment, I'm working on two other stories with Saber. You can find both of them on my dashboard. This story will probably be less of a priority until we get those done.
> 
> Well, not much else to say, except to note that this picks up right after the previous chapter, "Different." On with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: Moi owns only her OCs and the plot.

As soon as she had gotten Joel calmed down and taken his mind off of what Gordon and James had said, Shaina had gone to her room. Her temper was still flaring, and she didn't want to be around anyone in case she lost it. She paced the length of her room, almost afraid of standing still.  
"Shaina, you knew this was a bad idea. But, did you say anything? Noooo. You went along. And now look what happened! So help me, if I get my hands on them..."  
She yelled in frustration and pounded her fists against the wall. One of them sank lower than the other, like pressing a button, and for a moment, Shaina was scared that she had punched a hole in the wall. But, a glance at the ceiling showed a hatch opening, like to an attic. Her anger cooling, she grabbed the ladder, curiosity taking over, and climbed up.

Pulling herself up, Shaina looked into a secret room. It was small, but there were a few boxes strewn around. Oddly enough, there wasn't that much dust around. Only one thing looked out of place; a clean, white envelope with the name 'Songbird' written in fancy cursive writing. Carefully, Shaina picked it up and read the letter inside. It read as follows:

_Dear Songbird,_

_If you are reading this, then you must have successfully Crossed Over for the first time. I know that you are probably scared and unsure of why or how. I cannot answer these questions, but I can help._

_You are here for a reason. What that reason is, I cannot tell. I know how you feel about these engines and what has happened in the past. However, they are not to blame. The music that triggers you will rarely be heard here, so you should be safe._

_Don't let the bigger engines get to you. It's how they are and how they understand things. However, some ways that they think need to stop. I believe that is one of the reasons why you are here. I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow managed to scare them by the time you read this letter!_

_I can't do much, but I can promise this. If you keep your one little spark, you will triumph. You are special, unique among your kind, and that can help you in ways you couldn't imagine. I will keep watch on you, dear Songbird. Just keep moving forward; you'll find your rhythm._

_Best of luck to you and your family,_  
_D_

Shaina stopped, dropping the letter and backing away. Her mind was racing in fear. Who was this 'D'? How could he know so much about her? Could whoever it was be behind her coming here? She scrambled down the ladder, closing the hatch, but remembering the panel so she could open it again. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and trying to understand, yet coming up with nothing. Stumbling to her window seat, she sat down and reflected back on exactly why this place was so dangerous for her.

After a few minutes, she was pulled out of her thoughts by a whistle. Getting up and walking over to her other window, she could see the other green engine, Henry, sitting on the tracks outside her house talking to her parents. As she watched, her mother looked back up to her window, Henry looking up as well. Angrily, she shut the curtains, walking over to her hammock. If that "D" person had put together her room, she had to remember to thank them profusely.

Shaina couldn't tell how long she laid there, playing with her whistle and simply thinking, but at some point, Joel came in. Shaina sighed as if she was sentenced to hold the whole world on her shoulders, like the Greek god Atlas.  
"What is it, Joel?"  
The boy mentioned walked over.  
"Are you alright?"  
_No, I'm not, so leave me alone_ , Shaina wanted to say. But she didn't.  
"Better than I was a minute ago."  
"Mom says that she's going to report what happened. She'll be heading to Knapford tomorrow and wants you to come with."  
_The last thing I want right now is to leave this house, let alone travel with **those** engines._  
"I'll think about it."  
Joel disappeared, probably to the landing. Ever since **that** particular morning, he had always loved that loft. Shaina, meanwhile, continued to brood in her hammock. A piece of a song floated through her mind and she quietly sang.

_"Just an ordinary day_  
_All at once you're on your way_  
_To a place that cannot be_  
_No one knows what turns the key."_

She stopped, looking back up to her ceiling. Something inside her told her to investigate that strange room further. And so, after making sure her door was locked, she pushed on the panel in her wall. The hatch opened, just like before, and she climbed up.

Once she was up in her attic, she picked up the letter. Looking at it again, she could see a note that she could have sworn wasn't there before.

_P.S. - I found some things that might help you. They're in these boxes. Open them in this order:_  
_1 - Now_  
_2 - If you accept a job on the railway_  
_3 - When the leaves start to fall_  
_4 - When the first snow of the season arrives_  
_5 - When the flowers begin to bloom in the spring_  
_6 - ____________  
_7 - ____________  
_8 - ____________  
_9 - ____________  
_10 - ____________

_Only open them in this order. If anyone asks, tell them you were given the contents anonymously. Do not tell anyone about this room._

Shaina quickly started looking for box #1. It didn't take very long, for it was the one that had the letter on it when she first discovered this room. Opening it, she saw it was filled with three smaller boxes and a rolled up piece of paper tied with a string. She grabbed the items and took them down to her room, closing the hatch behind her.

First, she tackled the piece of paper. Unrolling it on her bed, she could see that it was a very large and very detailed map of Sodor. It was marked, too. There were different colors for sheds, stations, branch lines, etc. After looking over it for a moment, she rolled it back up and placed it by her desk. She'd figure out what to do with that later.

Opening the first box, Shaina could see it contained two books; both of which looked like they covered a good portion of this island's history. One was a bit more worn than the other and, quickly glancing over the pages, Shaina could tell that someone else had owned it before and had written notes in the margins. She quickly set them aside to read later.

The second box was noticeably smaller than the first one. The lid was stuck, and it took quite a bit of effort for Shaina to pry it off. Finally, the lid became unstuck, but, as it did, it released its contents all over the floor. As she started picking them up, she could see that they were pictures. Turning one over she could see it showed James at a washdown somewhere she didn't recognize. She quickly flipped it over and continued to pick up the pictures. Some were of engines, but most were of places. Each had writing on the back. For the ones with engines, the writing told her their name, number, type, class, where they mainly worked, and anything else of interest. For the places, it had the name, coordinates, distance from other places, and anything else of interest. Shaina quickly stacked the pictures up and set them back in their box.

The last box was the biggest, and also the heaviest. Inside was a new computer. A scrap of paper told her the password to log on, as well as a note that said, "All other sites use this." She set it up and turned it on. Pulling up a web browser, she could see that there were many sites that were already favorited. Some were related to the island, but there were a few that were related to her interests. She smiled as she shut it down and closed it up.

Soon, the windows started to give off an orange glow as the sun began to sink into the earth. Shaina walked over to her window seat and opened the curtains, looking forlornly towards Tidmouth sheds. That's when she made up her mind. Tomorrow, she would be going to Knapford. She wouldn't let Gordon and James get away with this. Even if it meant facing the one person who could undo everything just as much as the engines could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Yes, the mysterious "D." Who is he? :zips lips: Your only clue is that he's not mine.  
> And, well... I'll let you guys guess what happens next. Review, and see if your right!


	6. Chapter 5: Inform

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, for the confrontation and an explanation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we have a few songs in this chapter. The first is a snippet of Shawn Mendes' Stitches. The second is Bea Miller's Open Your Eyes (Deep Blue Songspell), although I slightly tweaked a couple of lyrics. Here's the link:  
> youtu. be/ 7ZgPGMfUVek  
> We have another reference to Shatter Me from Chapter 2 and, in case anyone wants to hear it, the song Shaina plays at the very end is Waltz by Lindsey Stirling, which is here:  
> youtu. be/ BHOXtmLvxfo
> 
> Anyways, thanks to LightandSteam! On with the show!

The next morning dawned bright and early. Too early for Shaina. The sun had been shining for quite some time, but she hadn't crawled out of bed yet. Instead, she was trying (and failing) to go back to sleep, half hoping that she could go back to whatever normal was.

This week, so far, was a disaster. It was only Wednesday, but, well, let's just say that Shaina had never seen a crazier past few days. First there was Monday. That whistle was still eluding her, in terms of how she got it and what its purpose was. Then her thoughts turned to yesterday.

As she thought about what had happened to her and her brother, she could feel both her temper and her curiosity rising swiftly. Her temper towards the engines, and her curiosity towards what she had discovered afterwards. If there was a more dangerous combination of feelings in the whole world, she didn't know it. She quickly grabbed for her phone, which was sitting on her bedside table, and started up a random song. The strumming of a guitar filled the room.

_"I thought that I'd been hurt before_   
_But no one's ever left me quite this sore_   
_Your words cut deeper than a knife_   
_Now I need someone to bring me back to life."_

She quickly stopped the music. That was **not** helping. She picked up her phone and started a different song. This time, it was a piano that sounded out.

_"Water and light, this is us_   
_History falling down, hope rising up_   
_We're the here and now_   
_All that came before_   
_Cannot stay asleep_   
_We're not children anymore."_

Shaina gently got out of bed and stretched. She started to put on some clothes as the chorus started.

_"We can fight the dark_   
_This is who we are, and there's a new light coming_   
_Finally had enough_   
_Finally waking up, to who we are becoming_   
_Open your eyes_   
_Open your eyes."_

As the second verse started, Shaina looked out the window towards the sheds.

_"Will you be my one_   
_Will you go with me_   
_Are you who I dreamed, or just a memory_   
_Will you understand what I have to do_   
_Will you be the one, the one I thought I knew?"_

Shaina brushed her hair as she continued to sing with the chorus.

_"We can fight the dark_   
_This is who we are, and there's a new light coming_   
_Finally had enough_   
_Finally waking up, to who we are becoming_   
_Open your eyes_   
_Open your eyes."_

She looked back out the window.

_"Into the deep blue_   
_We'll do this together_   
_Water and fire_   
_Reach higher_   
_There's no turning back_   
_Open your eyes."_

She took a deep breath, looking over her outfit as the chorus started for the last time. She wore a pair of jeans with a purple shirt that had a big heart in silver sparkles. Some of the sparkles were absent, forming the word "Kisses" in cursive. Around her neck, she wore a necklace with a Hershey Kiss and an August birthstone. And on her right wrist, she had an odd bracelet. It was more of a band than a bracelet, and it was purple with pink flowers that had yellow-green centers. But the oddest thing about this bracelet was the silver plate fastened to it.

_"We can fight the dark_   
_This is who we are, and there's a new light coming_   
_Finally had enough_   
_Finally waking up, to who we are becoming_   
_Open your eyes_   
_Open Your Eyes!"_

The song faded out, leaving Shaina again, as it had many times before. She took one last look at her outfit before removing the necklace, switching it out with her whistle. Something in her mind wouldn't let her leave it behind.

Just then, there was a knock on her door.  
"Come in!"  
The door opened to reveal her mother all dressed and ready.  
"I see you decided to go through with this."  
Shaina turned around, her whistle flying for a moment.  
"Those two can't get away with this. I won't let them. Plus the fact that I have to get used to this place. For Joel's sake, I don't want to get to the point where I'm locked in the house all day. I can't figure out how we got here if I can't investigate."  
Her mother nodded and they left.

About a half-hour and one short train ride (that was definitely not on Gordon or James) later, Shaina and her mother were at Knapford, the main station of the North Western Railway. It was set up in a similar way to Tidmouth, but with two extra platforms, one each for passengers and goods. The glass ceiling had pieces of colored glass dispersed in it, sending blue, green, and red spots around the station. People could get a train to almost anywhere there was rails from this station. Many of the offices of the railway were here, including the one Shaina needed to go to.

The door was a warm brown, though to Shaina it seemed cold. There was very little detailing on it. Just a brass doorknob and a nameplate, both of which shone like gold. Shaina was standing outside, glancing almost submissively and apprehensively towards the nameplate, as if doing that would keep her from having to go in. Finally, with a deep breath, Shaina reached out and knocked. As she waited for a response, she brushed her fingers lightly over the nameplate, which read:

_Sir Topham Hatt  
_ _Owner of the North Western Railway_

After what felt like ages, but was only a few moments, a voice from beyond the veil of the door called, "Come in!" Shaina gripped the doorknob, twisting it and pushing slightly.

The office was fairly small, all things considered. There was a beautiful antique desk with two chairs in front of it, each having slightly worn forest green cushioning and golden knobs lining the edges of the cushions. Directly behind the desk, there was a large bookshelf, filled with folders, maps, and books. On each side of the bookshelf, there was a large filing cabinet. It seemed that two large filing cabinets weren't enough to hold everything, however, as there were still some papers scattered on top of both. On the opposite wall, there was a map of the entire island, with rail lines marked in different colors, one for each railway. On the wall farthest from the door, there was a picture of Tidmouth sheds, among with a picture for each engine that had or was currently living there. Underneath this collage of pictures was a large, sturdy safe. To the immediate left of the door, on the same wall, was a large window, which had the curtains closed for the moment.

As Shaina opened the door, she saw a man sitting behind the desk. He wore a suit with a yellow waistcoat. Shaina quietly closed the door. As it clicked into place, the man looked up from his paperwork. As he caught sight of her nervous and anxious face, he smiled kindly.  
"Hello," he said. "Who are you?"  
Shaina was finding the floor to the right of her feet very interesting.  
"No one of importance," she replied. But, as if she remembered exactly why she had come, she straightened to her full height of just under 6 feet, coolly looking into Sir Topham Hatt's eyes. "A very unhappy and disappointed no one of importance." His eyes widened and he motioned to one of the chairs in front of him. Shaina paused for a moment before coming over and sitting down, everything about her saying that she wasn't sure she could trust him at all.

"What happened?"  
Shaina took a deep breath before speaking.  
"Yesterday, my brother and I were playing by Tidmouth sheds. We heard Thomas's whistle and, when we looked over, we could see someone coming over to us. He was Christopher Wryda, Thomas's driver. Before I continue, please promise me he won't get in any trouble."  
Sir Topham Hatt nodded and Shaina continued.  
"He was very nice to both of us and asked if we would like to meet the engines. My brother said yes and he took us to the sheds.  
"When we went inside, Christopher was answering a question I had when I heard laughter. Two of your engines, Gordon and James, were laughing at my brother. He said that they said, quote, 'his impressions sounded ridiculous and that he would be better off doing funny voices in a circus,' unquote."

One hand tightened its grip on a piece of paper as Sir Topham Hatt's face darkened.  
"You said Gordon and James?"  
Shaina nodded.  
"Yes. But, that's not the whole story."  
He paused for a moment before motioning her to continue.  
"My brother is autistic. One of his talents is doing character impressions. He does very well at them, but, because of who he is, he can be very pessimistic. He sometimes believes that he does horrible at them, and what Gordon and James have said has enforced those ideas in his mind. My family and I have only just recently been able to get him to understand that he does wonderful with his impressions. Those two engines have undone years of work and I'm afraid that he may do something drastic."  
Sir Topham Hatt was furious. He shot up from his chair, sending a few papers flying.  
"Why... Those two have done something like this multiple times before."  
He didn't see her glance down at her shoes again and nod her head, but just barely.  
"Don't worry. I'll be talking with them tonight. This needs to stop, _now_."

* * *

That evening, Shaina watched the road from the porch of the house. Sir Topham Hatt had told her that she didn't need to come, but she insisted. Eventually, he relented and asked her to follow after she saw his car. She had wanted to be there. She _needed_ to be there. But before her thoughts could go any further, a light blue car shot by. Shaina stood up and started walking to Tidmouth sheds.

When she got there, she could hear a heated argument already starting.  
"Sir, we did nothing wrong. We were only teasing the boy!"  
"From what I understand, Gordon, it wasn't teasing."  
"It didn't sound that funny, to be honest..."  
"Quiet, Henry!"  
Shaina thought for a moment, them smirked. This was going to be fun. She sang, softly at first, but louder as she came into view.

_"Somebody shine a light_   
_I'm frozen by the fear in me_   
_Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me_   
_So cut me from the line_   
_Dizzy, spinning endlessly_   
_Somebody make me feel alive and shatter me."_

The engines fell silent as they heard Shaina's voice, especially Thomas and Henry. It was the same song they had heard her sing before. Gordon and James gasped as Shaina came to stand between them, just as she had yesterday morning.  
"And 'the boy' has a name: Joel. I would appreciate it if you used it."  
The two engines squirmed as both their controller and this mystery girl glared at them. Shaina held up her hand, stopping any protests they didn't have.  
"Now, I don't know what on earth may have compelled you to act like that, but, seeing as I only arrived on the island recently, I am not impressed."  
"Neither am I," Sir Topham Hatt agreed. "You two have been in trouble for this sort of thing far too many times."

As Sir Topham Hatt lectured Gordon and James, Shaina glanced around at the other engines. Percy caught her eye and she remembered what he asked.  
"Do you still want me to explain?"  
Percy glanced down to her, a little surprised.  
"Y-Yes, please. If you don't mind."  
Shaina nodded, pausing for a moment to find the best way to word this.  
"Well... My description of it is that Autism is...a different way of thinking and processing things. For Joel, sometimes he can't tell the difference between insulting someone and teasing them. He's somewhat sensitive to heat too. If it's too hot and he's out for too long, he could have a meltdown, which basically means he could lose his temper. But, not everyone with Autism is the same as he is."  
Thomas now spoke up.  
"So...he's different."  
Shaina nodded, trying to hide her smile.  
"Exactly. Just like most people with disabilities. They have a different definition of normal, and that's fine."

As Shaina continued to talk with the engines, she felt something in the back of her mind, something remembered yet almost forgotten. Music, _their_ music, began to play in her mind. She pressed her hands to her temples, trying to block it out. But, it didn't work.  
"Miss?"  
Why did she even agree to come in the first place?  
"Sir! Something's happening with the nice lady!"  
Shaina whispered other lyrics, but they didn't work as well as she hoped. Those songs were getting too deep into her mind.  
"Miss?! What's going on?"  
She needed to get back home. She needed to get her music. She had to get this...this _mess_ out of her head!  
"Ma'am?"  
A hand on her shoulder yanked Shaina away from her thoughts. She sharply moved her shoulder out of the hand's grasp, backing into a wall.  
"Miss! Are you alright?!"  
Shaina glanced up at the engines. That dangerous music grew stronger. She turned away, racing for the house. Shouts and whistles chased her, but she didn't look back. She didn't dare.

The front door burst open as Shaina raced inside. She all but tore off her shoes and raced upstairs, slamming the door behind her. She grabbed her earbuds, plugging them into her phone. Opening up YouTube, she searched for a song that she knew would do the trick. As the melody started, she fell back onto her bed with closed eyes, feeling the familiar tickle in the base of her skull.

As the song got played on, Shaina never noticed one spark of light appear from her whistle. For a moment, it danced to the music, as if it could hear it. Then, it spilt in two. One circled her head, the other her chest. Finally, they touched where her mind and heart would be, melting into her skin as the song ended. After playing it a couple more times to make sure the song would stick, Shaina opened her eyes. She put away her glasses and earbuds, changing into pajamas before falling into a troubled sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...  
>  I'm kinda evil, aren't I? This will have a HUGE affect on future chapters. Don't worry, I will explain what happened to her... Eventually...  
> Just a quick disclaimer of sorts: The description of Autism Shaina give is my personal understanding of it. Autism is a spectrum disorder and her brother is one point. Other Autistic people may have different traits and people who interact with them may have a different description than mine.  
> Please follow, favorite, and review! Let me know how I'm doing and what I can improve on!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there's that.  
> Feel free to leave kudos or comment! I must warn you guys that, at this time at least, I don't have the most predictable schedule, so I can't say when I will update next. Hope to get the next chapter up soon though!


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